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DOCA Receives Big Read Grant from National Endowment for the Arts to Conduct Reading Program

Mayor John Hickenlooper today announced the result of the citizen vote on the 2009 One Book, One Denver selection. To Kill A Mockingbird is the winner, having received the largest percentage of votes from a pool of almost 2,000 voters who participated in the One Book, One Vote campaign that took place June 1 through June 15. The campaign allowed citizens to vote on their choice of 27 books via an online voting site.

As part of the book selection announcement, the Denver Office of Cultural Affairs (DOCA) revealed it has been chosen to receive a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to host The Big Read in Denver. DOCA is one of 269 nonprofits—including arts, culture, and science organizations, libraries and municipalities—to receive a grant to host a Big Read in 2009. The Big Read gives communities the opportunity to come together to read, discuss and celebrate one of numerous selections from U.S. and world literature.

DOCA has conducted a community reading project, One Book, One Denver, each of the past five years. This year, DOCA will combine One Book, One Denver with the NEA’s Big Read. The combined program will officially launch September 1 and run through October. During that time, copies of To Kill a Mockingbird will be available for check-out at all Denver Public Library branches and sold in local bookstores. The program will feature activities such as read-a-thons, book discussions, lectures, movie screenings and performing arts events.

The amount of DOCA’s Big Read grant is $20,000, which will serve to promote and carry out the program. As a grantee, DOCA will also receive free, high-quality educational materials for distribution to support the community in enjoying To Kill a Mockingbird, including Reader’s, Teacher’s and Audio Guides.

“The public deserves kudos for picking this timeless American classic,” Hickenlooper said. “To Kill a Mockingbird speaks to social issues still relevant in 2009, while showing us that human goodness perseveres even in hard times.”

The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts designed to restore reading to the center of American culture. The NEA presents The Big Read in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and in cooperation with Arts Midwest. Support for The Big Read is provided by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Transportation for The Big Read is provided by Ford.

“The Big Read highlights not only literature, but also what can be accomplished in partnership,” said

NEA Acting Chairman Patrice Walker Powell. “I’m grateful to the Institute of Museum and Library Services, Arts Midwest and the many, many nonprofits, local governments and media outlets around the country that have partnered with the NEA to present hundreds ofBig Read projects nationwide. We welcome our new community partners to The Big Read family and look forward to continuing this transformative dialogue between neighbors and across borders.”

The mission of the Denver Office of Cultural Affairs is to advance the arts and culture in the City and County of Denver. For more information, please visit www.denvergov.org/DOCA.

The National Endowment for the Arts is a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts—both new and established—bringing the arts to all Americans, and providing leadership in arts education. Established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government, the Arts Endowment is the nation’s largest annual funder of the arts, bringing great art to all 50 states, including rural areas, inner cities, and military bases. For more information, please visit www.arts.gov.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 122,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The Institute’s mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development. For more information, please visit www.imls.gov.

Arts Midwest connects people throughout the Midwest and the world to meaningful arts opportunities, sharing creativity, knowledge, and understanding across boundaries. Arts Midwest connects the arts to audiences throughout the nine-state region of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. One of six non-profit regional arts organizations in the United States, Arts Midwest’s history spans more than 25 years. For more information, please visit www.artsmidwest.org.